It has started consultation on the tighter fire protection regime which will reduce the building height where sprinklers need to be fitted from the current 30m and above to 18m.
A new Protection Board is also being set-up immediately with the Home Office and National Fire Chiefs Council to make sure building owners do not flout fire safety rules, as well as ensuring risks in buildings are being addressed.
The move is intended to provide further reassurance to residents of high-risk residential blocks that any risks are identified and acted upon in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
Up to £10m a year of funding will support the Board which will provide expert, tailored building checks and inspections, if necessary, on all high-risk residential buildings in England by 2021.
The Board will operate until a new building safety regulator is established to oversee the new regulatory regime for buildings and legislation on a new building safety regime is introduced.
It will act to ensure building owners keep up with latest safety advice and keep residents updated.
It will also ensure that interim safety measures are in place in all buildings with unsafe aluminium composite material cladding.
This work will be informed by current data collection work of local authorities to identify types of cladding on high-rise residential buildings, for which government is providing additional £4m funding.
From 12 September, the government will invite applications for the £200m fund to accelerate the pace of the removal and replacement of unsafe ACM from privately-owned buildings.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I have listened to concerns on sprinklers from residents and building owners and our proposals are an important step forward in shaping the future building safety standards.”
He also threatened to name and shame those who do not act during the course of the autumn.
The 12-week fire safety consultation on sprinklers and other measures forms part of the first proposed changes to building regulations in England covering fire safety within and around buildings.
